Chinese short track speed skater Li Jiajun delighted Chinese
supporters in Turin with a stunning upset, winning a bronze medal
in the men's 1500-meter race, China's first medal in this Winter
Olympics.
Li Jiajun, silver medalist in this event at the Salt Lake City
Games, took the bronze in 2:26.005, behind Ahn Hyun-Soo of South
Korea who finished in 2:25.341, and his compatriot Lee Ho-Suk who
finished in in 2:25.600.
31-year-old Li, competing in his fourth and final Olympics,
admitted he had expended too much energy in the first two heats.
But he says he will have no problem with the 500-meter and
1,000-meter races.
"I am happy to take the bronze. South Koreans are very strong in
this distance. I will retire after the Turin Games, so what I want
to do here is to stay relaxed and to do my best over the next few
days." Li Said.
One of China's best short track speed skaters and nine times
world champion, Li's achievements include four Olympic medals, and
16 world championship titles. Li became the first Chinese man to
win the overall short track world title in 1999, repeating the feat
in 2001.
In women's races, China's Wang Meng and Fu Tianyu have entered
Wednesday's 500-meter short track race final and the Chinese
women's team has qualified for the 3000-meter relay final.
After the second day of Olympic competition, the US, Germany,
and Norway are the top three in the medals tally. China is now in
14th place with Li's win.
As for the third day's events, China hopes to win medals in
three competitions: the pairs figure skating, men's 500-meter speed
skating, and women's 15-kilometer biathlon. The figure skating
event will be a real test for China because the leading Russian
duo, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, have a nearly four-point
advantage over Chinese favorites Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.
22-year old Yu Fengtong is seeking his first gold medal in the
500-meter speed skating event.
(Xinhua News Agency and CRI February 13, 2006)